A Forgotten Path

As women we want to live out our calling as wives, mothers, homemakers. Indeed, especially for the younger women, it can easily be the all-encompassing focus of our daily life.  The Virtuous Woman of the final chapter of Proverbs becomes our unconscious ideal and goal.

To all of us I offer the following thought:

You can’t live out Proverbs 31 if you forget about chapters 1-30.

I read this statement last week tucked in a FB article, and I’ve been mulling over its insight all week.
Can you relate to its truth?
It’s so easy to get caught up in the domesticity, responsibility, ministry and utility of our calling in the home ---and these pursuits are endless and daunting!! --- that we can side-step the basis of all such labors.
Proverbs 1-30 provides important  foundation.

Since our pastor has recently preached through Proverbs, I easily brought to mind four areas of conviction and reminder from Proverbs 1-30. Each has EVERYTHING to do with how I live as a wanna-be Prov. 31 woman:
1. Fear of the Lord.  A love for God and a life oriented to growing in this love (including rooting out sin which means confessing it and living out change) is the beginning. This priority must be our starting point. What you do won’t matter if it isn’t because of Who you love. 

2. Self Control.  I need God to help me reign in my emotions, my indulgence and lazy tendencies, my inward self focus, my angry thoughts/words/responses, my expectations for my husband, children, church, etc.  Here I replace self righteousness (self-reformation) for the truth of my desperation + His rescue = my enablement to live in the Holy Spirit’s control.

3. Speech.  Proverbs drips with sweet words, uplifting words, restrained words, unspoken words, truth-giving words…the emphasis is on redeemed words.  This speech reflects a life intent on God’s agenda and priorities and not those of my own untrustworthy and distracted heart.  My will wants to vent, express, demand, and amuse. God’s will wants to bless, instruct, and serve. Which do my words reflect?

4. Teachableness. This is humility in work clothes: I resist my self-sufficient tendencies in judgement and decisions to seek out, listen, weigh, and respond to the wisdom of others. Proverbs especially emphasizes those voices of authority.  Am I open to listen and accept the instruction and opinions of husband, pastor, older women, God’s Word? My own views reflect biased, subjective perception which may need correction. Will I seek it and respond to it?

Proverbs 31. We’ve heard the sermons, read the books, been intimidated by the immensity of the task, yet most of us see the ideal and its beauty, We are intrigued and desirous to exemplify Mrs. Proverbs 31.

Will you join me to keep in sight the path that got her there…chapters 1-30?